Cementing apparatus



Sept. 18, 1928.

5. E. MANNING CEMENTING APPARATUS Filed March 1, 1927 6/ z INVIZINTOR. 3 m

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 18, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SANFORD E. MANNING, OF SMACKOVER, ARKANSAS.

camnnrme ArrAaA'rUs.

Application filed March 1,1927. Serial No. 171,849.

6 cially designed for the purpose of setting a cement packer between a pipe in a well bore and the walls of the bore, so as'to form a fluid tight joint to prevent the passage of water, oil, gas or other fluid past said paclrer.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character described whereby plastic cement may be applied around pipe in a well bore at any desired depth, and which, when permitted to set Wlll form a seal, or packer, between said pipe and the walls of the bore, to prevent the passage of fluid between said pipe and the bore walls.

A further feature of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character described which is of simple construction, may be cheaply and easily produced and which is very eflicient in use.

With the above and other objects in View the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts an example of which is given in his specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the device. partly in section, and D Figure 2 shows a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral 1 designates a well screen adapted to be set in a well bore opposite the oil bearing strata. This screen is connected by a coupling 2, to a string of pipe 3, which may be extended to the ground surface. There is a flexible sack 4 whose lower end is fastened to the string 3, preferably immediately above the coupling 2 by means of wire 5 which is securely wrapped around the lower end of said sack. Other means for fastening the lower end of the sack to the string may be employed, if desired. This sack extends up around the string 3 any desired distance and completely surrounds said string. The up.- per end of the sack is reduced and fastened in any suitable manner, as by rivets 6, to a ring 7 which has the spaced inwardly extend ing legs 8 which rest against the surface of the string 3 and provide passageways 9 for the passage of the cement upwardly therethrough, as will be hereinafter explained. The ring 71s seated on a coil spring 10 which surrounds the string of pipe 3, and which in turn 1s supported on radial lugs 11, projectng out from said string of pipe. Surroundmg the string 3- and located within and near the bottom of said sack there is a tubular valve casing 12, whose lower end fits snugly around the pipe and is preferably welded thereto as at 13. The upper end of said valve cas ng is fitted closely over the gland 14 which closely surrounds the pipe 3 and is preferably welded thereto, as at 15. The yalve casing 12 is spaced from the pipe and 1s provided with the outlet ports 16, which are normally closed by the sleeve valve 17. This valye 17 forms a close fit between the valve casing 12 and the pipe 3 and in its lower or closed position rests on the internal annular shoulder 18 of the casing 12. A coil spring 19 surrounds the pipe 3 and is interposed between the gland 14 and the valve 17. The pipe 3 has a plurality of outlet ports 20, immediately beneath the shoulder 18, which are normally closed by means of an inverted cup shaped valve 21. which. is supported on the (301i spring 22. This spring 22 in turn rests on a nut 23, which is screwed into the lower end of the string of pipe 3. The valve 21 and the nut 23 have the openings 24, 25 therethrough to permit the passage of tools down through the apparatus in case it is des1red to work at the bottom of the bore.

In use, when a well is completed and the 01] hearing strata reached the apparatus may be assembled, as shown in Figure 1. and let down 1nto the bore with the screen 1 resting on the bottom of the bore, or located at the desired place in the bore. A plug of wood. or other suitable material is then dropped through the string 3 and rests on the valve 21 to close the opening 24 thereof. Cement is then introduced into the well through the string of pipe 3 and a plug of wood, or other suitable material is then dropped into the string of pipe 3 on top of said cement and water under pressure is then applied to force the cement downwardly. The pressure will force the valve 21 downwardly until it clears the ports 20 and the cement in plastic state Will be forced outwardly through said ports 20, against the lower end of the valve 17 and the pressure will lift said last named valve until it clears ports 16 and the cement will be forced out into said sack 4, and will expand the same tightly against the'walls of the bore.

Said sack, being of flexible material, will conform to the contour of said walls and form a tight joint. The spring 10 is provided so as to support said sack and prevent it from collapsing while the apparatus is being lowered into the bore, but as the sack expands the spring 10 will be placed under compression and will permit the lateral expansion of the sack without danger of tearing, or bursting the same. After the sack has become filled with a cementitious material and fully expanded the additional cement will be forced upwardly through the passageways 9 and the bore being sealed beneath, this additional cement will be forced upwardly around the pipe 3 and between it and the walls of the bore, the distance of course depending on the quantity of cement used.

When the downward pressure against the cement in the pipe 3 is relieved the spring 22 will force the valve 21 upwardly to close the ports 20 and the spring 19. will force the valve 17 downwardly to close the ports 16 and this will prevent the plastic cement from returning through said ports back into the pipe 3 thus holding the cementitious material static until it has set.

The cementitious material is then permitted to set and a fluid tight jointwill be thereby formed which will prevent oil or gas from passing up through the bore on the outside of the pipe but will force it to pass in through the screen 1 and then upwardly through the pipe. Water will also be prevented from passing from the water strata above the packer and mingling with the oil in the well.

After the cement has set the plugs hereinabove adverted to may be drilled out and the well is then in condition for production.

What I claim is 1. The combination with a pipe adapted to be set in a well bore and having a lateral port, of an expansible sack around the pipe and whose lower end is secured to said pipe beneath said port, a yieldably mounted valve seated against the pipe normally closing said port and adapted to be opened by pressure exerted downwardly through the pipe to permit the contents of said pipe to pass outwardly into said sack an annular member around and spaced from the pipe to the upper end of which the sack is secured and a coil spring supporting said annular member.

2. The combination with a pipe,'of an expansible container around the pipe, one end of which is closed and secured to the pipe, there being a passageway leading from w1thin thepipe into the container, the other end of the container being open,yieldably mounted valves, one on the inside and the other on the outside of said pipe, said valves normally closing said passageway and being adapted to yield, under the influence of pressure exerted through said pipe to open said passageway.

3. The combination with'a pipe, of an expansible container surrounding the pipe, there being a passageway leading from within the pipe into said container through which material maypass from within the pipe into the container, a valve normally closing said passageway, said valve being movable under the influence of pressure exerted through said pipe to open said passageway and an an nular support in the pi e beneath said valve and a yieldable mem er on said su port adapted to move said valve into position to again close said passageway when said pressure is relieved.

4. The combination with a pipe, of an expansible outside container carried by the pipe and having an upwardly directed outlet, there being a passageway from the interior of the pipe into said container through which material may be delivered into the container from the pipe and means inside and outside of said pipe for preventing the back flow of said material from said container into the pipe and coil springs normally holding said means in position to prevent such back flow.

. 5. The combination with a pipe having a lateral opening, of an expans ble container around the pipe, one end of which is closed beneath said opening, the upper end of which is open, a valve working against the inside of the pipe as a seat, yieldable means maintaining said valve in position to normally close said opening, a sleeve-like valve on the outside of said pipe normally closing said openlng. V

6. The combination with a pipe having a lateral opening, of an expansible container around the pipe, one end of which is closed beneath said opening, and the upper end of which is open, a valve working a a-inst the inside of the pipe as a. seat, yielda le means maintaining said valve in position to normally close said openin a valve on the outside of said pipe norma 1y closing said openin and yieldable means normally holding said lastmentioned valve in sail clbsing posi tion.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

SANFORD E. MANNING. 

